ERIC Number: EJ1425473
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Jun
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0141-8211
EISSN: EISSN-1465-3435
A Biomedical Engineering Curriculum Development: A Qualitative Study Engaging Four Stakeholders
Rita Prestigiacomo; Chun Chuen Chan; Lauren Kark
European Journal of Education, v59 n2 e12632 2024
Biomedical engineering is critical in improving people's lives through innovative solutions to biological and medical challenges. In the face of today's rapidly evolving climate, the field of biomedical engineering encounters numerous pressures that demand up-to-date skills and competencies. The (re-)development of curricula aligning with industry and societal needs, students' expectations, and academics' expertise while outlining graduates' knowledge (that) and abilities (how) becomes indispensable despite the challenges and complexities presented by conflicting priorities, tight timelines, and scarce resources. This paper presents a qualitative study conducted by a biomedical engineering graduate school at an Australian university. The study engaged four key stakeholders--industry partners, recent graduates, current academics, and students--in a self-auditing process of an existing biomedical engineering curriculum. This exercise aimed to identify priorities for the future development of the curriculum. The findings reveal the perspectives from the four stakeholder groups, with industry partners and recent graduates focusing on technical and transferable skills and current students and academic staff advocating for breadth and a more practice-oriented curriculum, where transdisciplinarity should inform biomedical engineering education. We propose that this evidence-based and bottom-up approach with multiple stakeholders holds potential implications for fields beyond biomedical engineering education. It provides valuable guidance to educational institutions seeking to (re-)develop their curricula to align with evolving industry and society demands.
Descriptors: Biomedicine, Engineering Education, Curriculum Development, Stakeholders, Graduate Study, Foreign Countries, Partnerships in Education, Transfer of Training, Interdisciplinary Approach, Evidence Based Practice, Industry
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A